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History
Founded in 1974, Querciabella enjoys the acclaim of the world’s most discriminating critics and consumers for wines such as Camartina, Batàr, Palafreno and Querciabella Chianti Classico. In its uncompromising pursuit of quality, sustainability and authenticity, Querciabella has continually honed its approach to biodynamic viticulture for over a decade. With vineyards located throughout Tuscany’s Chianti Classico and Maremma areas, Querciabella exemplifies the mindful preservation of tradition through forward-thinking, albeit completely natural, winemaking. For the latest winery news and updates, join Querciabella on Twitter and Facebook.
Vineyards
Since chemical–free viticulture was introduced at Querciabella with the conversion to organics in 1988 followed by a transition to biodynamics in 2000, the goal has been to maintain a balanced ecosystem where healthy, living soil provides the highest quality of nourishment to vines, while achieving perfect harmony with the rest of nature.
The winery practices a proprietary farming regime known as cruelty–free biodynamics, which bars the use of animal–derived products from all phases of grape growing and winemaking. This 100% vegan approach to biodynamic viticulture is not only key to producing wines of exquisite quality and marked territoriality, but is also a direct challenge against the industrialized farming establishment – an economic behemoth based on the systematic exploitation of animals, which scientific research shows to have devastating effects
on our planet.
Inside information
Castiglioni’s follow-up landmark-to-be derived its inspiration from his passion for white Burgundy.
Despite the lack of precedent for a high-level Tuscan white, Castiglioni set out to evoke his beloved Burgundy aesthetic. He started off with circumspection, testing out the terroir with Pinot Blanc and Pinot Grigio in an 80/20 blend, respectively, named Bâtard-Pinot. Castiglioni then moved on, reducing Blanc’s contribution and dropping Grigio altogether to make way for the debut of Chardonnay, complemented by an abbreviated and highly suggestive new name—Bâtard. Wary of the opposition that this provocative statement might incur, Castiglioni and Sebastiano soon compromised, engaging in a clever homophonic exercise that involved exchanging Bâtard for Batàr, while retaining the former’s pronunciation. Although the blend has continued to reflect the 1992 split (50/50), its stylistic orientation altered with the 1998 vintage, when the use of new oak was reduced. This modified approach (50% new oak and 50% one-year-old oak) brought Batàr within much closer range of its Burgundian archetype. In order to both honor and tangibly express the exceptional quality of the1990 vintage, the estate crafted a special Vin Santo, Orlando, for the first and perhaps last time, as the winery uprooted its Trebbiano and Malvasia vines in 1991. This historic production—Orlando (named after Sebastiano’s son)—was crafted through revered traditional methods: only the best grapes were utilized and the wine was aged for a ten-year period prior to being bottled.
The portfolio’s penultimate bottling, Palafreno, debuted with the 2000 vintage, commencing the estate’s participation in Bolgheri’s highly successful relationship with monovarietal Merlots. Its vinification regimen entails a fairly lengthy maceration period of 18 days and aging in 100 percent French oak (60% new and 40% first passage) for approximately 18 months.
While biodynamics has become something of a buzz word in today’s wine culture, biodynamic principles have always been part of Querciabella’s core philosophy. Thus, when the estate entered into a pure dynamic regimen with the 2000 vintage, it was merely concluding a process that had been in progress for several years.